Tag: C172

  • Trusting Your Instruments: Navigating the Night Sky

    A FAA CPL applicant must meet certain aeronautical experience requirements outlined in 14 CFR § 61.129 which includes a night cross-country flight and 10 night landings at a controlled airport. Since I had some time before returning to Moscow, I decided to gain some night experience. Flying at night is really cool. The winds are…

  • IR Part 141, Checkride: Becoming a Legal Instrument Pilot

    After about two months of flying, studying, and waiting, I am finally going to have my Instrument Rating checkride. I am thrilled since I only had to wait for two days after my end-of-course check, which is not common at all. We will be flying to Brooksville, a nearby controlled airport with an ILS approach…

  • IR Part 141: The End-of-Course Check Flight

    The Part 141 course requires an internal school check flight before allowing students to have a checkride. This check is usually performed by the school chief pilot or a senior flight instructor. In my case, the school owner, Tom Davis, will conduct the check. The weather is fine today, and I need to demonstrate that…

  • IR Part 141, Stage III Check: One More Cross-Country Flight

    Stage III of the Instrument Rating course mainly focuses on cross-country flights and everything related to them, such as weather briefing, flight planning, reading and interpreting NOTAMs, fuel, weight and balance computation, and more. Therefore, this stage check is a one more cross-country flight with full preparation. Unfortunately, the weather today is far from perfect,…

  • IR Part 141: Long Cross Country Flight

    Every student pilot should undertake a long cross-country flight during their training course. It doesn’t necessarily mean flying across the entire country, but certain flight leg requirements must be met based on the specific program (e.g., private, instrument or commercial). For instance, instrument rating demands a flight of 250 nautical miles with an instrument approach…

  • IR Part 141: Challenges of Cross-Country Flying

    The third stage of the course primarily focuses on cross-country flying. This means that students are required to plan and execute a flight to a remote airport, located more than 50 nautical miles from the departure airport. Although I had experience preparing mass and balance, weather briefing, and fuel, I had never prepared and filed…

  • IR part 141, Stage II Check: Mastering Instrument Approaches

    Probably the most important stage in the Instrument Rating course is Stage II, when the student learns to fly approaches. It requires precise and correct piloting, proper radio communications, multitasking skills, and attention to detail. Of course, these skills are important in every flight, including visual piloting, but instrument flight is even more demanding. Although…

  • IR Part 141, Stage II: Resuming My Instrument Training

    After an one-month break, I have resumed my Instrument Rating course in Florida. I had to return home to attend to some work matters, but now I’m back and continuing my training. Currently, I am on Stage II, which focuses on instrument approaches, the most challenging part of the course. I believe it’s not a…

  • IR part 141: Flying Approaches and Practicing ATC Communications

    Brand-new instrument rating course students often encounter a lot of problems after feeling rather confident flying VFR. For example, quickly transitioning to a visual approach after hearing the words ‘runway in sight’ (when you should remove your hood and really see the runway), calculating the optimal speed for a stabilized approach, or executing a stabilized…

  • The Art of a Good Decision Making: Weather Challenges

    Weather is a critical factor for any pilot, and today we were planning ILS and VOR approaches in controlled airspace. The forecast was initially good and even improving, with almost no wind, a ceiling of 4300, and visibility of 10 miles or more. After all preparations and a preflight check, however, the wind shifted to…